Five greatest cricket World Cup finals in history

4. Prudential World Cup 1975 final (Lord’s Cricket Ground, London)

This was where the journey started for the quadrennial tournament, in which teams vied for the world championship crown in One-Day Internationals. Consisting of white flannels, a red ball and 60 overs, it was the precursor for the future editions of this event.

At the time, England was the only nation that had the resources to manage an occasion of such magnitude. Eight teams participated in the tourney, culminating in a final showdown between the powerful West Indies and the spirited Australians.

Ian Chappell put the Caribbean side into the bat after winning the toss on a glorious June morning. Almost immediately, fast bowlers Dennis Lillee and Gary Gilmour rocked the batting line-up, reducing them to 50/3. Then came the turnaround.

In strode skipper Clive Lloyd – and proceeded to unleash a brutal display of power hitting, of the sort that we have come to expect from the likes of Shahid Afridi or Virender Sehwag. He clipped Lillee off his toes first up, and when the bowler responded with a bouncer, the southpaw sent the ball soaring over backward square leg for a massive six. Lloyd also punished the hapless Max Walker, who ended up conceding 71 runs in his 12 overs.

The bespectacled West Indian ended up scoring a magnificent century from just 85 balls in a 140-run stand with Rohan Kanhai. His dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, but lusty hitting from the lower order enabled the Calypso kings to reach 291 in their 60 overs. The left-handed Gilmour grabbed 5/48, but none of the other Aussie bowlers could make an impact on Lloyd.

In reply, Australia lost Rick McCosker early before Alan Turner and Ian Chappell steadied the ship with a 56-run stand. But none of them had reckoned with that outstanding fielder and batsman extraordinaire Viv Richards; he effected three sharp run-outs, sending back both the Chappell brothers and Turner to leave the batting side gasping for breath at 162/4.

The rest of the batsmen followed soon after, leaving the side reeling at 233/9 and West Indies on the brink of making history.

But then came the last stand – between Lillee and Thomson – causing a further holdup before Deryck Murray’s under-arm throw found the latter short of his crease after a 41-run stand. West Indies were now the first winners of the coveted world title, and would go on to defend it successfully in 1979.

The game stands out for Lloyd’s audacity, Gilmour’s five-wicket haul, Richards’ superb fielding and the final resistance from the Aussie fast bowlers. Truly, it is a glittering entry in the cricketing annals!